You are most certainly correct: Individual Tax Identification Number. ☺️

The dining credit works on restaurant charges globally. When I am home in Canada, I have to consciously remember to get out a "foreign" credit card and make a restaurant purchase that I otherwise wouldn't.

I am happy to hear that it works for you and you find value. I also wanted to illustrate that even if other foreigners were able to attain a US Domiciled CC account, there are other things besides the card benefits to consider. Financial transactions are not cheap. I, too, use the Canadian Bonvoy for domestic stays, maybe 4 or 5 times annually.

Your ATH free night is an example of a good value for a one-night stay. I can counter with the St. Regis in Palma de Mallorca. I will be in PMI for three nights next Easter. A redemption is 346,000 points for three nights, 116,000, 118,000 & 118,000. The rate is €505 per night. If I could arrive a day earlier, I could top-up the 85K FNA with 11K miles for a free night. The rate that night is €305, less than what I paid for the FNA alone.

I certainly don't need a luxury property if I have an overnight layover at the city airport which, for me, is a lot of my stays. If I am visiting the city, I don't want to check-in for a one-night stay and then change hotels. In your example, I wouldn't use 74K points for subsequent nights if, in fact, the adjacent nights were similarly priced. I booked a 5* Marriott for three nights for 38,500 points offsetting $588. The FNA also isn't much use if you are "pay 4, stay 5" for a 5 night award stay.

Of my 83 EQNs to date, I have 27 paid nights. My total spend is $4,370 or $161.85 per night. If I didn't have the Brilliant, I would be at 73 EQNs. To be fair, I need to add in the $150 50K Brilliant FNA before the changes and the $89 Canadian Bonvoy 35K FNA as two award nights had a direct cost of aquisition. ($4,370 + $150 + $89) / (27 + 2) = $158.93. The cheap aquisition cost of the FNAs actually brought the average per stay down.

With an aquistion cost of $350 for the 85K FNA, the calculus changes. ($4,370 + $350 + $89) / (27 + 2) = $165.83. The costly FNA actually brings up your EQN average on paid stays.

If your average EQN stay is more than the cost of the FNA, you come out ahead, otherwise it is an additional cost in cash.

I also understand that there is an intrinsic value to some to be able to experience an "aspirational" property they otherwise couldn't. There is, however, a cost to do so. Credit Card FNAs are not Free nights.

For my stay patterns, the 85K FNA is a losing proposition. I can't value it at more than I am willing to pay for a stay. But once again, YMMV.

James